ALL IN THE DAY'S WORK 



ONE afternoon, perhaps a hundred years ago,^ a ship, ''was 

 moving along under her topgallant sails at the rate of 

 about five knots the hour. The most hardened grumbler 

 could not find fault with the day. At fore and main topgallant 

 crosstrees were two men on the lookout for whales. It was 

 now nearly four o'clock, when the man at the main sung out: 

 'There she blows!' He repeated the cry regularly five or 

 six times. All was now excitement among the officers and men. 

 Everyone was anxious to know if it was the kind of whale we 

 wanted. The mate hailed the man at the mast-head, 'Where 

 away is that whale? What do you call her?' 



"'Right whale, sir, on the lee beam, two miles off; look out 

 sharp for her!' 



"'Sing out when the ship heads for her!' 



"'Ay, ay, sir.' 



"'Keep her away!' said the captain to the man at the helm. 

 'Boy, hand me the spy-glass.' 'Steady!' sung out the man 

 at the mast-head. 'Steady it is!' answered the wheel. The 

 captain then started to go aloft. 'Mr. A. (to the mate), you 

 may square in the after yards, and then call all hands.' 



"'Forward, there!' shouted the mate. 'Haul the main-sail 

 up and square the yards! Bill!' (to an old sailor). 'Sir'? 

 'Call all hands!' 'Ay, ay, sir. All hands, ahoy!' shouted old 

 Bill in a voice like a tempest. 'Stand by the boats!' In less 

 than no time the deck was alive with men. 



" ' Boat-steerers, get your boats ready!' In a moment, as it 

 were, the boats were in readiness, the tubs put in, the lines 

 bent on to the harpoons, and the crews standing by, ready to 



iRev. Henry T. Cheever, The Whale and His Captors, p. 144. 



159 



